Photo by Stephanie Van Horn / Contributing Photographer
Story by Kali Hammon / Contributing Writer
Every year during the spring semester, the sisters of Alpha Chi Omega celebrate Healthy Relationships Week. This week allows the sisters to raise awareness to issues such as domestic violence and educate their peers on healthy relationship habits.
Healthy Relationships Week took place from Monday, Feb. 13th to Friday, Feb. 17th, and “Love is…” was this year’s theme. Typically, when talking about abusive and unhealthy relationships, the conversation can be depressing, but discussing these issues allowed the sisters to not only educate their peers but also shed light on the healthy and happy parts of love. Students who visited Alpha Chi Omega’s booth in the Student Union Building were allowed to share what their concept of “Love is…” by writing it on a paper heart. Some students were also able to write it on a chalkboard and have their picture made.
“Healthy Relationships Week is a social campaign to prevent women and men from falling into unhealthy relationships,” said Vice President of Philanthropy Lexi Marshall. “It’s a way to help our peers from becoming victims, rather than helping after it’s too late.”
Sisters of Alpha Chi Omega also educated their peers on unhealthy relationship habits. Students who visited the booth had the opportunity to take a variety of handouts including the pamphlet “15 Signs Someone Might Be Dangerous,” which shared emergency crisis lines for people experiencing domestic violence and sexual assault.
“It’s not always a physically abusive relationship. It could be verbally or emotionally abusive. People don’t always recognize the warning signs because of the way they are normalized,” said student Anslee Newman at the Healthy Relationship Booth on Wednesday.
All week long, students have celebrated alongside the sisters of Alpha Chi Omega by not only sharing their concept of what “Love Is…” but also by sharing the photos they have taken at the booth by using the hashtag #HealthyAXOLove. Healthy Relationships Week is a national event that is celebrated at every college that has an Alpha Chi Omega chapter.
“We give people the tools that they need to understand what is and isn’t healthy in a relationship,” Marshall said. “There is help and resources on and off campus. There are people who are ready to help you through what you’ve experienced and what you might still be going through.”
Although Healthy Relationship Week is coming to an end, Alpha Chi Omega has more events focusing on their Domestic Violence philanthropy in the near future. President of Alpha Chi Omega Kelsey Brannon shared information about the sorority’s upcoming event at the Healthy Relationship Booth on Wednesday as well.
“We have a Carnation Bowl coming up on March 1, and we have been taking sign-ups here at our booth all week,” she said.
The sorority will be taking donations for the Rutherford County Domestic Violence shelter at the upcoming event.
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